Have you ever felt bad about your life or yourself after scrolling on Insta for a while?

Can you recall the last time you didn’t care about how many likes or comments you received on a social media post? Or how about not spending more than two minutes on filtering a photo before posting? Do you remember what your personal goals and intention lists were from the New Year? Have you been working with them every month or are they perhaps starting to collect dust? Have you ever wondered what life would be like without social media?

What has your relationship to social media evolved to be?

I know, it's a lot of questions to consider. No matter what your answers are, the intention behind them is to get you to take a nice, clean look at the impact or, your relationship to, and the amount of time you are spending on your social media platforms. To some, social media is a big part of your job. I get it. I’m part of that group. In fact, being an influencer was something that started to weigh on my heart rather than uplift it. I felt so much pressure to be perfect. To say the right thing. To get more likes and comments than I did with the last photo. It started to make me feel worse about myself and my value.

To others, being on social media is their go-to for community, fun, and connecting, but even still there can sometimes be a negative backlash of judgment, cruelty, and berating of others.

If you are someone who currently feels balanced, has fun and gets aligned when you’re on social media, that’s awesome. If you’re like me and the others and feel exhausted, overwhelmed, insecure, at times a little depressed, perhaps more judgmental of others than you'd like, or if you’re simply spending too much precious time on social media, then let’s take a deeper look.

Here's how to tell if it's time to detox.

After having recently done a nearly 50-day detox from social media, I can tell you firsthand how bad my relationship was to social media and how incredible it felt to let it go and take a hard look at where I was getting the value from in my life. Before the detox, I loved waking up and going onto social media, when I was at stop signs I would take a quick peek at it, as I got ready for bed I would endlessly scroll for at least 30 minutes. My husband would be talking to me, and I’d be looking at Instagram and only half-listening. It wasn’t that I was on it all the time, but when I was on it, it was lacking clarity and purpose so it impinged on other parts of my life and my time.

The most important inquiry I made with myself when looking at my relationship with social media was this: Do I feel good about myself when I’m on social media and am I enjoying this? The answer for me was no. Or more like absolutely hell no. So, without any forewarning, I went off it. And it was amazing. If you haven't been feeling like yourself for a while, check for these five signs. It might be time for a detox to examine your emotional, mental, and physical well-being so you can ultimately stay connected to you and your highest self.

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1. You have pain in your wrists, back, or neck.

Have you ever had pain in your wrists, hands, back, or neck? Take a few moments and close your eyes. Check in with your entire body as you take five deep inhales and exhales. Notice whether the body is feeling any dullness, aches, or pains in places that you might be influenced by technology use. This is a full-body scan to see how much you are actually utilizing your body when on your tech.

2. You feel like you need to buy things, go places, and change your life or surroundings for Instagram.

Reflecting on our questions above at the beginning. Have you ever felt bad or insecure about yourself after scrolling through other people's social media feeds? Do you notice you get jealous, upset, or annoyed when looking at someone else’s page? Are you triggered by other people’s opinions, comments, or pictures when on social media? If you are comparing your life to others' instead of feeling purely inspired, it might be time to reconsider how social media is serving you.

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3. You spend more than 30 minutes getting a post "ready."

Unless it's a really long post, you're probably overthinking it. Do you feel stressed about posting your photo or content to your social media? What does it feel like if you don’t get to be on social media for the day? If you're not posting your true, authentic voice, and instead you're spending time manufacturing it, it's time for a closer look at how you're presenting yourself and why.

4. Your self-care needs are not being met.

How much time a day do you really spend on social media? Are there other things on your "life and well-being" list that are not being checked off? Would you be willing to get back to you by going off social media for 30 days? Do you remember what your personal goals and intention lists were from the New Year? Have you been working with them every month or are they perhaps starting to collect dust?

5. You feel more disconnected from your life's passion.

Does your social media make you feel happy and inspired, connected to your dharma (purpose), and in meaningful relation with other human beings you love? If not, what would you like to give to your heart so it can continue to connect and live from a place of value and self-love?

The answers to these questions are not intended to cut you off from the world or to make you abruptly go off social media but rather to have you do an assessment and check in with yourself and your feelings about your value, worth, and heart’s needs.

Doing a social media detox can be as simple as going off for a day. You can do a detox for anywhere from between one and 100 days. It’s up to you. Only you know what is best to serve your heart and your well-being.

In whatever capacity you engage with social media, it is always important to check in with yourself and remember that you are far more than a social media page. You are a valuable, worthy, and incredible human being. Nothing can give you a feeling of value unless you yourself choose to believe in it. To know and acknowledge that you are valuable each and every day simply because you are a human being? That’s powerful.